Air diverter



C. REIMULLER AIR DIVERTER Dec. 7, 1943.

Filed Sept. 25, 1940 INVENT OR Patented Dec. 7, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR DIVERTER Caryl Reimuller, Glenview, Ill.

Application September 25, 1940, Serial No. 353,208

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an air diverter and more particularly to an air diverter attachment especially adapted for use in conjunction with non-oscillating types of electric fans, by virtue of which it is possible to obtain substantially the same results of an oscillating fan in distributing and circulating the air currents produced by the fan throughout a substantial angular range.

While my novel air diverter attachment may be constructed for adaptation to the major range of sizes of fans, it is especially suitable for fans of substantial sizes of, say, ten inch diameter and upward, such as embodied in pedestal types of fans. In rooms containing a large number of persons a stationary or non-oscillating fan is often found objectionable and unsatisfactory in that too much air is concentrated in a too limited path, while the air in adjacent areas of the room remains substantially unagitated or inert. Hence the oscillating type of fan has a definite advantage in that the path of air currents produced by the fan is gradually shifted and directed over a substantial angular range, thereby causing agitation and circulation of air throughout a much greater area of the room.

It is well known that the matter of makingv large size pedestal fans of the oscillating type adds greatly to the cost as compared to equiva lent size non-oscillating fans.. This great in-' crease in cost is due largely to the type of sup porting structure and actuating means required to take care of the substantial weight which must be properly supported and oscillated. Some of the large size fans of this class use a quarter horse power motor which necessitates the use of relatively heavy rugged supportsand bearings, which adds substantially to the weight which must be properly supported and oscillated.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a novel form of attachment of the character indicated, adapted to be quickly and easily connected to the guard or grille of a non-oscillating fan, for effecting agitation and circulation of air throughout a relatively wide angular range. 7

Another object is to provide a novel attachment for a non-oscillating type fan characterized by the provision of a power operated oscillating panel or vane mounted forwardly of the fan in a manner for gradually shifting the path of travel of the major portion of the air currents produced by the fan to cover a relatively wide angular range and thereby more effectively cause agitation and circulation of the air in a room.

A further object is to provide a novel attach:- ment of the character indicated, comprising a frame adapted to be connected to the fan guard and arranged for supporting a panel or vane forwardly of the fan, the panel being actuated by an electrically operated driving mechanism mounted on the panel and connected to the frame for efifecting oscillating movement of the panel about an axis extending in a plane substantially coincident with the axis of the fan.

Still another object isto provide a novel attachment of the characterindicated, including an oscillatable panel adapted to be supported on the fan guard forwardly of the fan together with power means actuated by the air currents produced by the fan for effecting oscillating movement of the panel.

Still a further object is to provide a novel air 'diverter attachment of the character indicated which is relatively simple in construction, positive in operation, and which may be manufactured at relatively low cost.

Other objects and advantages of this inven-, tion willbe apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompany ing drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a pedestal type non-oscillating fan provided with the novel air diverter attachment constituting the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view throughthe air diverter attachment and part of the fan, taken substantially as indicated at line22 of Figure 1. l

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the lower portion oi the'oscillating' panel and the drive mechanism, taken substantially as indicated at line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end view of the driving mech-' anism and supporting structure, taken substan tially as indicated at line ei of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view somewhat similar to Figure 3, showing a modified form of power operated means for oscillating the panel.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, Ihave shown my novel air diverter attachment mounted on a pedestal type non-oscillating fan fixedly supported on the upper end of a vertical standard Ill. The fan includes, a base I I carrying a motor [2, having a shaft [3 carrying a rotatable fan blade [4. The fan blade is surrounded or protected by a guard or grille 15 of conventional" form, usually fabricated of wire or fiat bar stock elements.

The air diverter attachment constituting the present invention includes a frame, comprising a pair of mounting brackets 20, each having a pair of angular bent legs. Said brackets are dis posed in opposite relation to form a generally diamond-shaped structure, with the free ends of said legs of the brackets rigidly attached together and to an intermediate portion of a U-shaped support 22. Said support is disposed adjacent the guard and includes a pair of spaced apart, forwardly projecting arms 23. The outer corners of the brackets 23 detachably connectible to the guard by hook bolts having one end hooked around one of the wires of the guard and the body of the bolt extending in the corner formed by the angular portions of the bracket,

with a washer fitting against the bracket and a wing nut 26 on the outer end of the bolt. Thus the matter of mounting the air diverter attachment on or removing it from the guard I5 relatively simple matter. 7

As seen in the drawing the support 22 has its main body portion disposed in close proximity to the front face of the guard l5. Because some of the guards of various types of non-oscillating fans are often provided with a projecting centrally located plate or fixture for attachment of the wires or bars of the guard, the central portion'of the support 22 is formed with an outwardly offset area, as indicated at 22a, for clearing said central projection portion of the guard.

The outer ends of the respective arms 23 of the support provide pivotal mountings for trunnions '28 which in turn are rigidly attached to the respective ends of an oscillatable panel or vane 30. Said panel 30, as well as other parts of the frame and supporting structure may be formed of relatively light Weight metal such as aluminum toreduce the weight of the attachment. If desired, said panel may be formed of any other suitable light weight material such as fibre board, paper board, etc. Preferably, though not absolutely essential, the support 22 with its forwardly projecting arms 23, is mounted in such relation tothe fan guard and fan l4 that the axes of the trunnions 28 lie in a plane substantially intersecting the axis of rotation of the, fan l4. Manifestly, the attachment may be mounted on the guard of thetan at any desired angular relation, but preferably, as shown in Figure l, is disposed in upright position for efiecting a horizontal oscillating sweep of the air currents. In some instances it may be desired to dispose the attachment in a position at substantially right angles to the position shown in Fig-; ure 1, 'so as to obtain a vertical oscillating sweep of the air currents produced by the fan. The panel 30 is caused to oscillate about the trunnions 23 through an angle of approximately 90 degrees, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawing, by a suitable 'form of driving mechanism. Said 'mechanism may be mounted on either the frame or on the panel, and as herein shown is mounted on said panel and includes an electric motor 35, operably driving a chain of speed reducing gears designated generally at 36, supported within a sheet metal housing 31 disposed within a recessed portion of the lower rear edge of the panel.

, Said housin as above mentioned, is formed or sheet metal and includes a pair of spaced'apart upwardly extending flanges 38 adapted to be Secured by bolts 39 against opposite sides of the panel 33 so as to dispose the driving mechanism is a,

and motor substantially central with respect to the main plane of the panel. Said gearing is connected to and drives a rotatable disk 40 supported by and below the mechanism housing 31, as seen in the drawing. Pivotally connected at 40 to said disk is a pitman or driving link 43, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected at 44 to a bracket 45 rigidly attached to the outer end of the bottom arm 23 of the support 22, as seen in Figure 3 of the drawing. It will now be apparent that as the motor 35 drives the gearing 36 the disk 40 rotates, and due to the relationship of the pitman or driving link, said driv- 'ing mechanism together with the panel 30 is 7 caused to be oscillated back and forth about the axes of the trunnions 28.

The electric motor 35 is provided with a conductor cable 48, the endo'f which is provided with a conventional attachment plug 49 for connection, to a suitable outlet socket. If desired, the conductor 48 may be connected directly in series with the current supplying cable for the fan proper so that the attachment may be caused to operate simultaneously with the operation of the fan.

In Figure 5 I have shown a modified form of driving mechanism which includes a housing 50, similar to housing 31, in which there is disposed a bladed rotor 5|, positioned so as to be rotated by impingement on its blades of the air currents produced by the fan [4. The rotor 5| drives a suitable chain of gearing, as indicated generally at 52, for imparting rotary motion to the driving disk 40 disposed below the housing 50 as in the construction above described. The ends of the tubular housing 53 are open, and hingedly connected at 54 to the rear edge of one of the vertical walls of the housing is an adjustable baffie 56' which may be moved toward and away from the opposite wall of the housing for varying the effective passageway for the air currents produced by the fan for impinging upon the blades of the rotor 5|, and thereby controlling the speed of the motor, and in turn the periodic oscillation of the panel or vane 33. For purposes of adjusting the baflie 56 I provide a screw 51 threaded into the wall of'the housing adjacent the hinged connection of the bafiie, and the forward end of the screw extends through a1 slotted opening 59 in said baflie, and is provided. with a head 65 for maintaining the battle anchored to the screw. It will now be apparent r so as to in efiect be equivalent to an oscillat that by threading the screw inwardly or outwardly shiftsthe baflie 56 for varying its angular position and thereby varies the effective opening or air passageway for the air current to actupon the blades of the rotor 5i. The disk; 40 is connected to the' driving link 43 in the same manner as in construction above described; for efiecting oscillating movement of the panel.

My novel form of air 'diverter attachment may be constructed in a manner so as'to be of rela-- tively light weight, and therefore will not impose any appreciable load upon the guard or grille of the fan. Itwill be nianifest thatby virtue of the.

novel form of attachment a stationary or non oscillatable type of fan may be readily converted ing type fan, and to obtain substantial agita-, tion and circulation'of the air currents through-11 out a relatively wide angular range of a room:

Moreover, the construction lends itself to rela-' tively economical manufacture and adaptation to. a relatively wide range of sizes of fans." While I have hereinshownthe oscillating panel as of generally rectangular form, manifestly it may be made up in other shapes and obtain substantially the same functional advantage. For example, if desired, the panel may be used as an advertising display and it may be desired to form the contour of the panel to correspond with certain characteristics or features of the advertising display.

Although I have herein shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, manifestly it is capable of further modification and rearrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise forms herein shown and described, except as it may be so limited by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

An air diverter attachment for an electric fan comprising a frame adapted to be detachably connected to a fan guard and. including a U-shaped support having a pair of spaced apart forwardly projecting arms, trunnion bearings on the outer ends of said arms, an oscillatable panel supported at opposite ends in said bearings, said frame being constructed for connection to said guard at a position for disposing the axes of said bearings in a plane substantially coincident with the axes of the fan, electrically operated power driven mechanism mounted on said panel, and a driving element having one end pivoted to said frame and the other end operably connected to and driven by said mechanism.

CARYL REIMULLER. 

